Pocket-cutlery



(Model N. B. SLAYTON. Pocket Cutlery.-

Patented March 22,1881.

Fig. 2,. 1. Fig. 5.

Fig. 8

ZWfME g I mrxswmr N-FEIERS. PHOTO-UTNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE NELSON B. SLAYTON, OF ALFRED CENTRE, N E'W YORK.

POCKET-CUTLERY.

SPECIFICATION" forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,C68, dated March 22, 1381.

Application filed February 1, 1881. (ModeL) citizen of the United States, residing at Alfred Centre, Allegany county,New York, have invented certain Improvements in Pocket-Outlery, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined knife and fork, the fork and its handle being adapted to fit into a pocket in the knife-handle. The handles of the knife and fork are made by folding a sheet-metal plate back and forth in such a way as to form pockets forthe blades, which open alternately at the back and front of the handle. This method of making the handle forms no part of my present invention, however, it having been described in a former application of mine.

The present invention consists partly in the combination and arrangement of the fork with the knife and partly in the construction of the handle, so as to serve as aspring on the blade, whereby the employment of a back-spring is rendered unnecessary, all as will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a side view of the combined knife and fork, the blades of the knife being shown partly open. Fig. 2 is a view of theback of the handle, showing the edge of the inserted fork-handle. Fig. 3 is a side view of the fork detached, showing the fork-blade partly open. Fig. 4 is a front view of the knife, showing one blade opened and one closed. Fig. 5 is a front or edge View of the fork, showing the fork-blade closed. Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, end views of the knife and forkhandles with the blades removed. Fig. 8 is an end view of the bent metal plate, which forms the pockets in which the blades are housed.

Let A represent, in general, the knife-handle, which is made up of a bent sheet-metal plate, 0., preferably of steel, constructed to form three pockets-two (lettered b b) for the knife-blades, and one (lettered c and opening at the back) for the fork. To the outer folds of the plate a are affixed cheek-plates d cl, which are intended mainly to strengthen and give form to the handle. These may be of any suitable material. At the end of the handle the parts a and (l are affixed to a buttplate, 0.

B B are the knife blades, hinged to turn on a-rivet,f. This rivet is placed at a greater distance than is usual from the end of the handle, and the elasticextremities of the folded plate a, which project beyond the rivet, are set or bent in so that the space between them will be a trifle less than the thickness of the butt of the blade, so that when the blade is opened these extremities of the plate will embrace it with considerable elastic force and hold it stifliy in position Without the necessity of employing a back-spring or other mechanism. The blades are prevented from going back beyond a perpendicular position by the fold of the plate in a well-known way.

G is the handle of the fork, and D is the blade or part bearing the tines. The handle is made by folding a sheet of metal, preferably steel, and making the butt 9 solid. The

blade is mounted in the pocket formed in the handle on a rivet, h, and the cheeks of the handle, beyond the rivet, are bent or setin precisely as are the corresponding parts of the knife-handle. tion is clearly shown at c in the several figures.

The fork-handle has a slit or notch,j, in its butt, which engages the rivet f of the knifeblades where it crosses the pocket 0. The fork is inserted in its pocket by first closing the blade D and then inserting the notched end of the handle into the pocket 0 in such a way as to cause the notch to engage the rivet f. It may then be pressed into its pocket by a force applied obliquely, as will be readily understood. In Fig. l the dotted lines illustrate with sufficient clearness the position of the fork when inserted in its pocket.

All of the blades and the handle of the fork are provided with suitable thumb nicks or lips,

whereby they may be opened in the usual way.

the plate a, (which embrace the blade,) as at i, I may make the said plates to embrace the blade tightly by elastic force at all times, whether open, closed, or partly open. In such a construction the butt of the blade, beyond the rivet, should be made to extend farther This feature of the construe In lieu of actually setting in the checks. of

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than as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; or the butt of the blade may be thinned or tapered, as shown at k k in Fig. 4, so that when the blade is closed the thinner butt beyond the rivet will permit the plates of the handle to spring in or toward each other; but when the blade is opened its thicker part will spread the said plates in the manner of a wedge.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the method of foldin g the plate a where blades of different widths and thicknesses are mounted in one handle. The lesser pockets are formed at the sides of the larger central pocket.

Although I have shown a fork-blade in the handle 0, it is obvious that some other instrument might be substituted therefor. The blades B may also be considered as other than cutting-instruments.

My combined implement is intended as a pocket-instrument; but it may be employed in any way and for any purpose, being particularly well adapted for camping or army use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A handle for pocket-cutlery, in which the pockets for the blades, opening alternately at opposite sides, are formed by bending or folding a sheet of elastic metal, and the embracin g plates or cheeks forming the side walls of the pockets are brought closer together at the rivet end than the thickness of the butt of the blade to be inserted, whereby the said checks are caused to elastically embrace the blade, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the knife havinga pocket, 0, opening at its back, across which the rivetf extends, of the fork having a slit or notch,j, in its butt, to engage said rivet and retain the fork in place when inserted in the pocket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the knife-handle A, having pockets I) b c, constructed as shown, the blades B B and their common rivet, and the fork-handle 0, provided with a slit or notch, j, and a blade, D, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' NELSON B. SIJAYTON- Witnesses:

A. E. ORANDALL, WILL H. URANDALL. 

